Carton opener



April 25, 1950 P. T. VAN FLEET 2,505,161

CARTON OPENER Filed June 25, 1947 48 42 /2 Inventor Paul 7? Van F/eef vv Altorneys Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARTONOPENER Paul T. Van Fleeft; Harrodsburg, Ky. Application June 25, 1947,Serial No. 756,857

2 Claims.

i This invention relates to new and useful im- .device forfremoving thetop from cartons and the like in a safe and convenient manner.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a cartonopener including novel and improved guide means engaging the upper faceand side face of a carton for assuring a correct cut thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a carton openerembodying a doubleblade holding member including means formed therewithfor engaging and retaining the blade in a cutting position withoutmovement.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a cartonopener that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliablein use, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which thesame is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a pasteboard carton, andshowing the present invention applied thereto in use;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the present I invention;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantiallyon the plane of section line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an end View of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein, for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral Ill represents a handle or shank preferablyformed from a rectangular strip of suitable material having itslongitudinal side edges l2 turned inwardly to provide a greater grippingportion for the same. The corners of the strip are rounded, as at M, toprevent any harmful edges protruding from the device. Projectingoutwardly from substantially the center of the handle at the rear endthereof is an integral ear l6 having an aperture [8 receiving suitablefastening means for attaching or suspending the'handle from a supportingsurface.

Integrally formed with the handle at the forward end thereof is asubstantially flat, trapezoidal head 20 having its forward side edges 22converging to a rounded point 24.

The numeral 26 represents an angular guide and guard member having aV-shaped notch at one end 28, the edges of which are integrally formedwith the outwardly turned flanged portion 30 of the head. The outer edge32 of the guide member and the rear corner 33 of the head are preferablyrounded to prevent sharpened corners at the end ends of the device.

To strengthen, reinforce or brace the handles to the head, there isprovided a substantially diamond shaped protuberance 34 at the junctureof the handle with the head.

Extending through aligned apertures 36 in the head 20 and substantiallythe center of a substantially trapezoidal retaining plate 38 is a bolt4!) having a nut 42 threadingly engaged on one end.

Interposed between the head 20 and the plate 38 and held thereto by thebolt and nut is a double edged cutter or razor blade M having oneportion spaced parallel beneath the guide 26. As shown best in Figure 2,the forwardly converging edges 46 of the retaining plate are disposedopposite the V-shaped flanged portion 30 of the head.

In order to hold the blade and the retaining plate in position to thehead and guide, there is provided a substantially conical lip or detent48 in the head that extends through aligned apertures 5!! in both theblade and the plate 38.

In practical use of the device, one face of the guide member 26 bearsupon the upper face 52 of the carton 54, one inclined side of theflanged portion 30 bears against the side face 56 of the carton, and oneforward free edge of the blade 44 extends into the carton to provide aslit 58 .thereabout as the handle is moved about the carton with itsaxis at an inclined angle with the axis of the carton.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same issusceptible, to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A carton opener comprising a substantially rectangular strip ofmaterial having its longitudinal side edges turned inwardly to provide ahandle, a head integrally formed at one end of the handle,. an angularguardintegrally .formed with said head andhaving an outerwleg, portionspaced outwardly from and parallel to said head, an adjustable plateopposing one face of said head, a cutter interposed between said plateand said head, said cutter having one end spaced.-parinvention, what isallel to the outer leg portion of said guard, a, detent formed in saidhead engaging aligned apertures in said cutter and saidplate,andareinforcing protuberance between said head and the handle.

2. A carton opener *comprising an elongated "substantially rectangularstrip :of bendable'material having its longitudinal side 'edgesfolded-inwardly to provide a hand: grip, a fiat extension integrallyformed with the forward endof said REFERENCES crrnn The followingreferences are of record in the "'file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS N umber Name Date 2 1,472,269 Grimmer Oct. 30,1923 1,527,220 Pyle Feb. 24, 1925 1,770,951 Smith July 22, 19301,969,785 Eisenberg Aug. 14, 1934 2,120,960 Arthur June 21, 1938 J2,187,590 Lurie -4. Jan. 16, 1940 2,274,799 Kroemer Mar. 3, 19422,282,697 Bates .4 May .12, 1942

